One Act of Kindness
by JackPotr
Summary: What if Harry met someone different in the Alley when he was eleven? What if it was someone who was looking for a friend as well and whose heart went out for a boy who appeared to be lost? Harry/Pansy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter.

AN: Hey everyone, just another little thing that was percolating around in my head. It will be another short story with only two chapters. I hope you enjoy. In other news, what's your take on JK's admissions of making a mistake on the Harry/Hermione relationship? I think it proves what many of us have felt all along.

One Act of Kindness

It was the sad look in his emerald green eyes that hurt the most. The regret she felt from the look of hurt and disappointment on his face was one of the worst things she ever experienced and something that she hoped she wouldn't have to live with for the rest of her life. It hurt even more was when he turned and walked away while the rest of her housemates continued to taunt the boy who was her friend and who she should have stood up for.

No one could ever call Pansy Parkinson a leader. In fact, when she was sorted into Slytherin instead of a more neutral house like Ravenclaw, she knew the life she wanted for herself would be a thing of the past. She learned that first night that she would never survive her life in Slytherin if she didn't follow their mandates. The scared and lonely little girl came back once again after one glorious month of happiness.

After the incident, she followed the others back to the Slytherin common room and then quietly made her way back to her dorm where she crawled onto her bed and let the tears fall. Amongst her fellow Slytherin first years, Draco Malfoy had quickly took control over their year. As he asserted his dominance over the other boys by using the political power held by his father and his 'girlfriend' Daphne Greengrass quickly rose to take control over the girls. It was why she dried her tears and quickly pulled a mask over her face when the other girls finally came into the room. Her own survival in the house depended on her not showing weakness in front of them as it was the 'pureblood' custom to exploit any weakness they discovered.

After dinner that evening, she looked around for her friend who was nowhere to be seen. She hoped more than anything that her lack of action wasn't going to derail the future she already planned for her life. It was a dream that she formed two weeks ago but one that held all her hopes.

The trip back to the common room felt like it took an eternity. Once behind the walls of the dorm, Pansy exchanged a few words with the girls of her year before excusing herself to go to bed. She pulled the curtains around her four poster bed so that she could have a few more minutes of peace in order to be with her thoughts. As her mind drifted, she thought about the month of August and the fun she had in Diagon Alley as well as muggle London.

**HP**

Her family was an old pureblood line that didn't follow a lot of the things the darker purebloods of Great Britain did. If she were to describe her family, she would say that they were more neutral than anything else. When the last war started up, her family was approached by Voldemort's followers and basically told to join or face the consequences. Her grandfather and father were shrewd men and came up with a solution that would appease the Dark Lord as well as maintain their neutral status among other things. While they were not happy about the agreement, it did allow them to move about in pureblood society. Most of the problems came after the first war. Her grandfather lost his life in the fight against the dark lord even if no one knew his identity. Even to this day, they weren't openly welcomed by either the light or dark magical families.

Her parents ran a lucrative business just off Diagon Alley that provided well for them. As Pansy and her parents were very close since she didn't have a lot of friends, they brought her to work with them quite often and whenever she completed her lessons for the day, her mother would often let her roam about the Alley if for nothing else than to go get an ice cream.

It was August 1st and she was walking around Diagon Alley when she saw a sight that caught her interest. She found herself chuckling at the image in front of her as it brought back a story she was once told about David and Goliath. Her curiosity got the better of her so she stayed in her seat at Fortesque's to see who it was that the gamekeeper at Hogwarts was leading around the alley.

She noticed the duo come out of Gringotts with Hagrid looking rather ill. She then watched as Hagrid left the boy alone as he went back into the Leaky Cauldron. Another glance at the boy and she could see he was nervous about being in a place he had never been before without anyone he knew. It didn't take long before she made a decision, one that would change her life. She got up from the table and thanked Mr. Fortesque on her way out as she made her way over to the boy.

When she was close enough, she said "Hi, my name's Pansy. You look a little lost. Would you like some help?"

She noticed the boy jumped a little when she spoke to him but he turned around and her eyes widened.

He replied "Um…Hi, I'm Harry. Um…I'm supposed to get my things for school but I don't know where to start. I've never been here before."

"But you're Harry Potter…surely you've been to Diagon Alley?"

"No…I didn't even know magic existed until last night."

"Wow…that's…I never expected that. Um...well…what do you need?"

"Everything I guess."

"Do you want new clothes too?"

She saw him blush and look down in embarrassment. His look caused her to feel bad about saying that. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay…and yeah, I think I'd like new clothes." She heard him mutter "I'll have to figure out a way to hide it from my family though."

She smiled. "How about we go find you a trunk first? How much money do you have?"

"I got two hundred galleons from my vault. Didn't know about that either."

Even at eleven, she knew something was wrong here. She would bring it up to her parents when she got back. "Tell you what, we'll go get it and do what we can and then we can go back for more money if you need it."

"Okay"

She held out her hand and said "Come on."

When he didn't grab her hand, she huffed out "I won't bite. I promise."

It took a minute but he eventually reached out and took her hand as she led him to a store. As they walked she asked "What kind of trunk do you want? What you said earlier, do you need to be able to hide things?"

He quietly said "Yeah, my family…"

She could see he was uncomfortable talking about it and said "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. Now, there are all kinds of trunks. Mine looks like a plain old trunk but it was two extra compartments in it where I can hide stuff that I don't want others to see. Why don't we get you one of those for now?"

He nodded and soon found himself in the trunk shop. After Pansy told the man what they were looking for, Harry quickly decided and they were on their way back out. She asked "What do you want to do next?"

"I don't know. You're doing pretty good so far."

She gave him a smile and once again held out her hand. He took it a little quicker this time and they were off once again. The next stop on her tour was Madam Malkin's. As soon as she passed the window, she paused and took another look. Harry looked to see what she was looking at. "We're not going in there right now. See that boy?"

Harry nodded. "Well that's Draco Malfoy. He's one of the meanest boys I know. We'll do something else first."

She led him around the alley until they had almost everything on his list. They made another trip into Gringotts which turned out to be a good thing. The Goblin that took care of him seemed pleased that Hagrid was not around. "Mr. Potter, now that we don't have watchful eyes on us, I need to ask you to return as soon as you can so that we can discuss a few things concerning your family's accounts."

"Um… accounts Sir?"

"Yes, it may even be a good idea to have someone with you that you trust completely."

"I…there's no one like that Sir. It would just have to be me."

"Very well, I feared as much. Would it be possible for you to come back tomorrow around 10am?"

"I really don't have a way to so that"

"I see. I would offer a port key but you're a little young to be doing that on your own. Maybe the Knight Bus then?"

Harry gave him a blank look before Pansy spoke up. "I'll explain it Harry."

He looked at her and nodded before softly saying thanks. He then looked at the Goblin and said "I will try Sir but please don't be angry with me if I can't get here."

The Goblin smiled at the young man and said "Just try and get here as soon as you can."

"Yes Sir, I will."

It was then that his comments earlier and his lack of any knowledge began to confuse Pansy. It was another thing she would need to speak to her parents about since they were so good at explaining things. As soon as she realized they were done, she grabbed Harry's hand and led him back out into the alley. They had almost made it to their next stop before they were caught up to by Hagrid.

"Ah Harry, there ya are. Sorry about that, I got caught up with some old friends. I was beginning to think you left."

"No sir, I was lost and Pansy helped me."

Hagrid gave her a funny look before saying "Thank you miss."

"You're welcome Sir."

It was then that a couple walked up. "Where have you been Pansy? You were supposed to be back hours ago. The only reason I didn't come for you then was the appointments we had scheduled."

"I'm sorry Mummy. I've been helping Harry get his things for Hogwarts. We were having fun and I lost track of time."

Her father looked down and recognized the young man immediately. "That was quite nice of you escorting around Heir Potter but you know the rules. You should have come and told us what you were doing."

Hagrid was looking nervous at the way Harry was addressed and it was picked up on by the Parkinsons. Harry then said "Please don't punish Pansy for helping me. It's my fault that she was gone all day."

Mrs. Parkinson smiled at him. "Oh she won't be dear. We just need to remind her every once in a while to let us know what we are doing. It was nice meeting you Mr. Potter. Come along Pansy, it's time to go home."

"Mummy, one second pleeeease?"

At her smile and nod, Pansy grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him aside. She then began whispering in his ear. "The Knight Bus is the wizard's bus and goes really fast. All you have to do is step out to a curb and hold up your wand. You can ask them to bring you back here."

"Okay, thanks Pansy."

She smiled back at him. She didn't have many friends and liked how she got on with him. "If you send Hedwig with a note before you come, I'll try to meet you. Besides, we never did go get new clothes for you."

"Okay"

It was then that they parted company but not before giving each other a smile.

**PH**

Harry arrived at home and was ushered into his 'new' room once Hagrid was gone. Just to prove how big a man he was, Vernon decided to show who was boss and roughed Harry up a bit. By his reckoning, Harry would have a month before he was seen in public which should be plenty of time for him to heal.

After the kindness that Pansy showed him that day, Harry just couldn't imagine having to deal with his family any longer. He knew he had some money and if it took everything he had, he would rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the summer and then perhaps next summer as well. The next morning, he got up and took a quick shower. He activated a rune on the trunk that Pansy had shown him and soon the trunk was small enough to fit in his pocket. He stuck his head out of his bedroom door and listened for any voices. When he didn't hear any, he went out the front door and took one last look at his relatives' house. With it being so early and no one up and around yet, Harry stepped to the curb and stuck out his wand. With a bang, a large purple triple decker bus appeared.

"Where to young sir?"

"Um...Leaky Cauldron?"

"That'll be fourteen sickles young sir."

Harry dug around in his bag until he came up with the right amount and then took a seat after the conductor waved his hand at a seat. Ten minutes later, Harry was walking up the steps to the Leaky Cauldron.

"AH…young Potter. Back so soon?"

"Yes Sir. I didn't finish yesterday and thought I'd get an early start."

The innkeeper looked at him closer and noticed the bruises on his face. "Do you need any help? It looks as if you've had an accident."

"Um...no Sir, I'll be fine. Er…would it be possible for me to rent a room for the rest of the month?"

Tom wasn't as dumb as everyone thought he was and could see there was something wrong here. If it would help pay back the debt owed the young man for what he had done all those years ago, he didn't see the harm and would also make himself available to help him in any way he needed. He also noted how small the boy was and would at least make sure the boy ate properly. It was obvious that someone wasn't taking care of the young man.

"I think that could be arranged. Where are your things?"

Harry patted his pocket.

"One of those special trunks, huh?"

Harry just nodded.

"Alright then, why don't you sit down and have a proper breakfast?"

"Thank you sir."

You're welcome. If you need anything, you just come to old Tom here and I'll help you any way I can."

"Thank you Sir."

**HP**

At quarter till ten, Harry made his way down the stairs of the pub after settling in. As he headed towards the entrance to the alley, he asked Tom to show him how to get in and out as well as asked for directions to the Parkinson's business. After getting the directions, he thanked Tom once again and made his way to the white marbled building.

As soon as Griphook saw him, he escorted Harry to an office where he began to pull out several files. He took note of Harry's appearance and how it looked like he was beaten. He made a note of it but didn't react to it as it could be considered offensive to the client to ask such personal questions. Griphook patiently went through everything with Harry so that he would know about his family's accounts. Harry was doing pretty well up until this point until Griphook started asking him to make decisions. It was then that Harry became confused and started to panic. He looked around for the one who helped him yesterday and remembered she wasn't there this time.

"Is something wrong Mr. Potter?"

"Um…yeah…I don't understand most of this. I need help."

Griphook nodded as he feared as much. Harry's isolation from the world could be very costly to the young man unless he got help and quick. "Why don't we take a break to allow you to think about things?"

"Thank you Sir. Would it be okay if I went and tried to find my friend?"

"Of course. Just ask for me when you return."

"Thank you Sir."

As soon as he left the bank, Harry walked around the alley asking for directions to the Parkinson's business. Once he knew where to go, he made a beeline for their building. When he entered the office, he was greeted by a receptionist.

With an amused grin, she asked "Good morning young sir. What may I help you with?"

"Um...good morning. Is…is Pansy here?"

"Yes, I do believe she is. Hang on."

She touched a button on her desk. "Mrs. Parkinson, there's a young gentleman here to see Miss Parkinson."

A few minutes later, Pansy came out followed by her mother. Her smile grew wide until she paid closer attention to his looks. She ran over to him and asked "Harry, What's wrong? What happened?"

"Um…I was just at Gringotts. They wanted me to tell them what to do but I didn't understand most of it."

"What happened to your face?"

"Um…never mind Pansy. I'll just figure it out on my own."

He turned to walk out the door but Pansy stepped around him. "Harry, I thought we were friends now. Friends help each other. Let me help you. Please?"

"Um…I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll see you later."

Mrs. Parkinson's voice cut across the conversation. "Mr. Potter, do you consider my daughter a friend?"

He softly said "I guess so; I've never really had a friend before. She's nice and I had fun with her yesterday."

"Good, I can say that you were all she talked about last night and she hasn't had many friends either." Pansy blushed.

"Why? She's so pretty and nice. Who wouldn't want to be her friend?"

"That Mr. Potter is complicated. I would have to give you a history lesson for you to understand."

He looked up at her and said "I like history."

She chuckled. "Very well then. I don't have any appointments for several hours. I guess I could give you the short version."

Pansy smiled and grabbed his hand to pull him along just like she did yesterday and took him to the family lounge at the office. Pansy told him it was really her office which served as her classroom while her mother taught her.

Once they sat on a couch, Mrs. Parkinson looked at him for a second before going and standing in front of him. She reached out her hand and pulled his chin up so that she could look at him. "Before we go into the history lesson, I don't like the way you are bruised on your face and would like to help you. Would you allow that?"

He shyly nodded. She took out her wand and waved it around his face making the bruise disappear. As she completed her work, a frown formed on her face and she waved the wand around his scar. She stared at it for a minute before growing pale.

"Mr. Potter, does your scar ever hurt?"

"Yes ma'am. I have a headache most of the time."

"Will you allow me to look at it more closely?"

His eyes cut over to Pansy. "It's okay Harry. She just wants to help. She's my mum, you can trust her."

He nodded again. She studied it some more and ran more tests on it before getting up and walking out of the room. A few minutes later, she came back in dragging Mr. Parkinson with her. "What was so important that you had to interrupt my…oh hello Heir Potter."

"Good morning sir."

"What's this all about honey?"

"Check the scar and tell me what you think?"

He did his tests and at the end, he was very pale. "Heir Potter, I have a couple of questions for you."

"Yes Sir?"

"Headaches?" Harry nodded.

"I can see you're already wearing glasses. James didn't really need them until he was out of school. He wore them most of the time because he said they made him look smart and was willing to do anything to get the attention of your mother."

Mrs. Parkinson said "Not surprising where that scar is."

"Indeed. I'm not saying you're dimwitted or anything like that but do you have trouble thinking?"

"Yes Sir. I get confused a lot and my teachers say I have trouble 'staying on task' whatever that means."

Okay, that helps me understand. Last question young sir, do you get enough to eat? Regularly?"

Harry couldn't answer and just looked down at the floor. "I see. I seem to remember Dumbledore taking over your guardianship saying you would be safer there. Can you tell me who you've lived with all these years?"

"My mum's sister and her family."

Mr. Parkinson's eyes cut over to his wife. She said "I remember Lily once said that she and her sister did not get along."

"Okay Heir Potter. I have a good idea of what we can do to help you but it would mean that you would have to come live with us until school starts so that we can fix all the things that are wrong with you. Some of it will be painful but others not. If it helps you to make your decision, I would be willing to bet that you would have your very own private nurse looking after you."

Pansy was bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Please Harry…say yes."

Mrs. Parkinson asked "Are you still staying with your relatives?"

"No ma'am. I got a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the month. I…I didn't want to be there anymore."

She nodded.

"May I ask something? Can all wizards and witches do what you do? Is this what being one means?"

Pansy chuckled "No silly. My parents are healers…like doctors in the other world. They had to study for a long time to be able to do what they do."

"Oh okay. Um…Mrs. Parkinson…you promised me a history lesson?"

"Not that the lesson depends on it but do you agree to come live with us and let us help you?"

"If it will make me feel better and I…yes ma'am."

**PH**

The lesson was pretty simple to understand for Harry since he could relate to what Pansy went through. Due to her parents' and grandparents' choices, they straddled wizarding society in order to keep their family safe. While they tried to maintain their neutrality, she explained they tried to be like Switzerland and not take sides; they were still forced to do some things for the darker side. Most of the time, it was just healing people who didn't want any questions asked. She also explained that the wizards' hospital, St Mungos, was required by law to report anyone who was treated for spell damage. In their case, they were not subjected to the same requirements as they were a private practice but still were required in certain cases. In the case of the Death Eaters, the treatments were conveniently forgotten in order to protect the family.

She then explained that because they wouldn't join the darker side, they didn't trust the Parkinsons and shunned them. On the other hand, the lighter side knew what they were doing and in turn painted them as a dark family for the treatments they performed.

"I don't understand why all that means Pansy didn't have friends growing up."

"Well Mr. Potter."

"Please call me Harry. Especially if I'm going to be living with you for the next few weeks."

"Okay…Harry. Well when we are out in public, neither side wants to have anything to do with us because neither side trusts us. I'm an adult and can live with our choices but I do feel bad that Pansy has suffered for what we had to do."

Harry smiled. "She doesn't have to suffer anymore. She has a friend now."

"And for that, I am very thankful to you Harry. We've never seen Pansy as happy as she was yesterday and as a mother, I would do anything to see that beautiful smile on her face."

Harry blushed and said "Me too."

Mrs. Parkinson sat there for a minute before asking "You came in asking for help with something. Would you tell me what it was?"

"I was at Gringotts this morning and Griphook wanted me to make some decisions about my family's accounts. I didn't know what to do and thought that Pansy could help me since she helped me so much yesterday." He turned red at admitting his inability to think for himself.

She smiled. "Well, I don't know if Pansy would be the right person for that but it touches me that you place so much faith in her. May I suggest you take her and my husband with you?"

"Thank you ma'am. I would really appreciate it."

She walked out of the room and left the two kids there to talk. When her husband was free of his appointment, she stepped into his office. "Well, I had my suspicions last night with how that poor young man was dressed but the bruises he had just told me everything I needed to know. James and Lily's son has been abused ever since he disappeared."

He nodded. "Yes, I do believe you're right. My scans showed a lot of physical damage and his mannerisms suggest emotional and mental as well. We will have our work cut out for us in the next month."

She sat down heavily in a chair. With a sigh, she said "The Potter heir looking like a street urchin. Not only that, why wasn't the scar treated when he was a baby?"

"I don't know. I just hope we can do what we promised. My only concern is that the damage done by it is permanent."

She nodded her head. "On the lighter side of things, he is quite taken with Pansy."

"Yes, it seems she feels the same way."

"It would be good for them both."

"It would. I'm sorry Faith. I should have taken you both away from here a long time ago. My stubbornness has led to a very unhappy life for our daughter. I'm scared to say that this friendship could mean trouble for us but her happiness is what matters most."

"I feel that the boy-who-lived coming back will see a turn in society once again. People will start choosing sides again."

"Yes but if we were to steer him away from Dumbledore…maybe society would turn more neutral instead of having Dumbledore parading Harry around as the new icon of power."

"Perhaps but right now, I just want to help that young man as well as our daughter. They both deserve it."

"I agree. What can we do?"

"Well, we can be there to help Harry. I don't think anyone else has ever done so before. You can start by going to Gringotts with him. That's what started all this today."

"What's the problem there?"

"He was asked to make some decisions and he didn't know how to respond. He ran to your daughter for help."

"I'll go with him but you know how the Goblins feel about someone butting into another house's business."

"You can at least try."

"You are right."

**HP**

It wasn't long before Mr. Parkinson came in and said "I am free for the next little while. How about we go see to your business and then the two of you can continue where you left off yesterday."

"Thank you sir."

They went back to Gringotts where Harry asked a teller if he could speak to Griphook. When the Goblin came to the lobby, his eyebrows arched at who Harry had with him.

"Mr. Parkinson, how are you this fine day?"

"I'm doing fine Master Griphook. However, my daughter's friend needed some help and my wife volunteered me."

Griphook chuckled "Yes, wives will do that. You are aware of our policies."

"Yes Sir but I thought it might be a simple matter of just explaining things better to Heir Potter. He has not been trained for these things and feels a little out of his depth. If it would ease your concerns, I merely seek to be an advisor to Heir Potter and not make his decisions for him."

Griphook nodded. "That is a very fine line in a situation such as this. However, the Potter accounts must be brought out of lockdown now that Mister Potter is eleven."

Harry spoke up. "Mister Griphook, I just needed some things explained to me. If it would make things easier, I would be willing to let you manage my accounts while I'm in school. I would like to become more involved with them as I learn more but for now, could you handle them and maybe let Mr. Parkinson take a look at your decisions?"

Griphook looked at him and then said "We could do it that way. The standard contract for me doing that is one percent of the profits as compensation."

Harry looked at Mr. Parkinson and then whispered to Pansy. "If I offered him two percent, do you think he would work harder at it?"

She looked back at him and nodded. "Mr. Griphook, I would be willing to increase the rate to two percent if it would mean you would help me more and then teach me about all this."

Mr. Parkinson smiled and thought that Harry was a lot shrewder than he originally thought. He also realized that with his upbringing, Harry had more than likely grown nervous this morning when asked things such as this. With a safety blanket in the form of him and Pansy, Harry was able to overcome his nerves and forge ahead.

"That is more than the normal rate but I can agree to your conditions and I would be glad to help you learn more about financial management. There are many wizards who never learn these things like they should. Mr. Parkinson, as Mr. Potter's advisor, would you agree to his terms?"

"Yes as long as the conditions are met. I think he has made a very wise decision."

Griphook gave a feral grin. "If it would make everyone more comfortable, we could put it into a contract so that the terms must be followed."

"Splendid idea but who would sign for Mr. Potter?"

"I think in this situation, Mr. Potter could sign for himself."

"But that would mean …"

"Indeed, it would make Mr. Potter his own man so to speak. I think it would be for the best."

Mr. Parkinson looked over at Harry and said "Perhaps you are correct."

Harry leaned over to Pansy and asked "What are they talking about?"

"I'm not sure but I think they are trying to make you an adult in the eyes of everyone."

"But why?"

Griphook heard the conversation and said "To be honest Mr. Potter, I think it would be in your best interest to be able to make your own decisions about where you live and maybe a few other things. All this will do is give you some protection in lieu of a magical guardian."

"What's that?"

"That is the person who was assigned to look out for you in your parents' will which is a subject we will need to deal with soon. In your case, your assigned magical guardian has been indisposed for the last ten years and unable to handle your affairs. Albus Dumbledore usurped his position and placed you with your aunt and uncle."

"Mr. Griphook, is this Dumbledore a member of my family?"

"No, he is not."

"Then how could he do that?"

"I don't know young Sir. All we can do is try and fix things now."

Harry nodded as everyone grew quiet in order for Griphook to prepare the paperwork that needed to be done. As soon as he had it ready, he took out a red quill and slid the contract over to Harry.

Mr. Parkinson grabbed his hand as he reached for the quill. When Harry flinched, he said "I'm sorry Heir Potter but as you don't know our ways yet, I thought a little warning might be in order."

Harry nodded.

"That quill is called a blood quill. It's called that because it signs the contract in your own blood which makes the document irreversible. I wanted to tell you this because it will hurt a little."

"Will this get me away from my relatives?"

"Yes Heir Potter, it will."

With a gleam in his eyes, Harry said. "Then it can't hurt anymore than the things they did to me."

As soon as the contract was signed, it flashed blue accepting the magic of the promise as well as Harry's legal status. On Privet Drive, there was another blue flash as the 'blood' wards collapsed and left his former home unprotected. At Hogwarts, in the Headmaster's office, a little device that sat on a shelf flashed blue as well signaling the wards were gone. There were several devices beside it that emitted a puff of black smoke before continuing to spin as they always had. The only being to witness the display of magic was Fawkes the phoenix. Upon seeing what happened, he trilled happily before bursting into flames and forming a pile of ash underneath his perch.

Once their business was complete and they left the bank, Mr. Parkinson asked "So what do you two have planned for the rest of the afternoon?"

Harry's stomach grumbled and Pansy snickered at him. "I think we need to go feed Mr. Potter and then we will go get some new clothes for him."

"Alright but you may want to hold off on buying a lot right now. Whatever you do get, make sure it has expanding charms on it that will grow with Mr. Potter. I think that once we start treating him, then he will grow quite a bit."

"Yes Daddy."

"Thank you Sir, for everything."

"You're welcome Heir Potter. Our last appointment is at five today so I expect you both back at the office by six so that we can go home and have dinner."

Both kids replied "Yes Sir" and as they walked away from him, he smiled as she saw them reach for each others' hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.

AN: Thanks for the response. Um…I lied! There will be 3 chapters now. As with my other short stories, I'm hitting the high spots and moving along instead of writing a bunch of stuff that draws out the story. Which means, telling me that the story is rushed will serve no purpose. Sadly, things in Harry's life are never happy for long.

Chapter 2

It took a week for the Parkinsons to be able to correct all that was wrong with Harry. The scar proved to be problematic and caused Roger and Faith to call in some old friends to help with it. The procedure ended up taking two hours but in the end, the scar would shrink until it was barely visible on his forehead. Despite their best efforts, some of the scars remained on his back even though they managed to reduce their presence dramatically. They were helped a lot by the fact that when the scar was removed, Harry's magic began to flow more freely and assisted in healing the young man they had taken in.

Pansy proved to be a good nurse and only left his side when she was forced to by her parents which helped the two youth grow even closer. The month of August went by really quickly for the two friends as they spent every waking moment together. Even while Harry was being treated and healed, Pansy was there giving him support and comfort. It took another week but Harry was back up on his feet and after being given a completely clean bill of health, the two were traipsing all over Diagon Alley and having the best time of their short lives. They both had found that friend they always needed and wanted and they weren't going to let anything get in their way.

In the eyes of her parents, the closeness shared by the two pre-teens was a little unnerving as it seemed to go far beyond friendship. They had the sneaky suspicion that they may be looking at their future son-in-law provided nothing bad happened. They knew it would be considered odd in the other world for parents to think this way but magic was both a wonderful and terrible thing. It could do so much harm but at the same time, it could tie two people together for the rest of their lives which was the greatest of magics. It was for this reason that betrothal contracts still existed so that the possible young couple would be protected as they developed the romantic bonds to compliment the magical bonds they had formed. Under normal circumstances, they may have approached the head of House Potter to bind the two in a contract but with Harry's unique situation due to the steps they had taken on August 2nd, there was no one who could legally enter Harry into such a contract. Due to the things that had already been done to Harry, Roger and Faith knew there could be problems and planned to watch the situation as best they could.

**HP**

During the last week before school started, Harry and Pansy made multiple trips to Gringotts to handle things that Griphook gave him to look over. With the help of Mr. Parkinson, things were looking better for House Potter and Harry. Among the things Harry had to deal with were many contracts that were presented to the bank for consideration of the Head of House Potter. Since that was Harry by default, it was left up to him to decide how to handle them. One particular stack brought tears to Pansy's eyes and caused her to run out of the room.

It confused Harry and he turned to Mr. Parkinson and asked "Why did she run out? She's been helping me go through all this stuff this week and never did that before?"

Roger smiled. "Well, she's your friend and cares a lot about you. What made her upset is that stack is made up of marriage contracts."

Harry looked at him confused. "What? Why would that matter? It's not like I know any of those people and are going to accept them. I mean…I'm only eleven for God's sake. I just got over the girls are yucky stage."

Roger chuckled. "It's alright Harry. She just doesn't want to lose her friend."

Harry huffed. "Like she has anything to worry about. The day I stop being her friend is the day she doesn't want me anymore."

Roger smiled again. "That's good to hear. Now, why don't we get through all this so you can have the next few days to enjoy yourselves before school starts?"

Harry nodded and picked up another stack of parchment. The change in Harry impressed Roger as it seemed his mind was working much faster than when they first met. It was a good sign for Harry's permanent recovery from the effects of the scar and a reminder of just how bad things could have been if they hadn't removed it when they did. He then had a horrifying thought of 'what if that's what Dumbledore wanted? What if he wanted a compliant and obedient young man he could manipulate into doing whatever he wanted?' Those thoughts sent a shudder up Roger's back as he thought about the possibility of the man doing that and being in charge of a school full of children.

**PH**

On September 1st, Harry and Pansy were escorted to the train early since her parents had an appointment at 10 am. After getting them settled, Mrs. Parkinson hugged both children and wished them a good first year at Hogwarts. After giving his daughter a kiss, Mr. Parkinson took Harry's hand as he thanked them once again for their hospitality. Before they left, Mrs. Parkinson said "Harry, I expect you to come home with Pansy at Christmas so that you can spend the holidays with us."

Despite all the work the Parkinson family put into Harry's emotional well being, he was still an emotionally abused child who had trouble thinking anyone would want him around. When she saw him slipping back, she gently cupped his cheek and pulled his eyes to hers. "I mean it Harry. We want you there."

"Yes Ma'am."

As they departed, Faith grabbed Roger's arm and leaned into him. He said "They've got each other now. They'll be fine."

"I know. I just need to know one thing."

"What's that dear?"

"Are you going to speak to Amelia or am I?"

"I'll let you lead the initial meet. If it doesn't go to your satisfaction, then I will step in but I'm sure that won't be necessary. She likes you more than she likes me."

"I imagine so. I didn't go through her knicker drawer in that panty raid at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, that was eye opening. I never expected Ami to wear stuff like that."

"You know, she ate it up every time you stopped and stared when she walked by."

"More like she laughed at me. Still does to this day."

**HP**

The ride to Hogwarts on the Express went pretty well for the two new first years. As they did for the last month, they spent their entire time together and were only away from each other long enough to go to the loo. Both planned ahead and already had on their school clothes so that all they had to do was slip their robes on and they were ready. Pansy thought he looked nice in his new clothes after having grown several inches and getting rid of the glasses. The scar was still present but not as noticeable as it had faded a lot over the last few weeks.

Over the course of the journey, they were interrupted several times by different people; the most noticeable was Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Ron immediately set Harry off by calling Pansy dark and not someone _the_ Harry Potter should be associating with. Harry kindly asked him to leave as he wouldn't put up with anyone talking bad about his friend. Draco wasn't as bad as he could have been even though he was a little cold towards Pansy. When he stuck his hand out, Harry grabbed it and told him "Pleasure to meet you."

"Since you have tossed Weasley out and have already met Parkinson, it seems you are heading in the right direction. I'd like to help with that if you would allow me to."

"I'm not apposed to meeting new people Draco but I hold my own counsel on who I befriend."

"As it should be. Anyway, I guess we'll see you around the castle Potter. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"And you"

As soon as he left, Pansy said "You did really good with him despite the fact that he oozed slime."

"Yeah, hey do you have one of those hand wipe things from your mum. I'd run to the loo but I don't want to be cornered again."

She smiled and reached into her pocket before handing one to him. They sat in quiet conversation for a while before a bossy little bushy haired girl stepped in. Once she learned his name, she looked at him strangely for a minute before starting to spew all of the 'facts' that she read about him. About halfway through, Harry held up his hand.

"I don't know where you got all your 'facts' from but I can assure you my life was nothing like what you just described. Miss?"

"Granger and you must be mistaken as that is what the books say and books don't lie."

"No, books don't lie but the people who write them sure do."

"But…"

"Miss Granger, just because you read about me in some books doesn't mean you know me. Harry Potter is not some character in some book. I am a real person."

"But…"

Pansy said "We were having a nice conversation until you interrupted. I don't want to sound rude but if you want to be Harry's friend, then you need to take the time to get to know him like I did. Those books are nothing like the real Harry."

The girl huffed and left the compartment. Harry and Pansy looked at each other for a minute before breaking out into giggles.

The end of the trip found Harry and Pansy getting into boats for the trip across the lake. Since they were the last in line, they were left to a boat of their own which was fine with them. They never let go of each others' hands until they were escorted into the Great Hall to be sorted but they still stood very close.

They watched as everyone was sorted until the 'P's came up. When her name was called, she gave him a glance and then stepped forward. It took several minutes before the hat finally shouted "Slytherin". When she walked past him to the house table, she gave him a pleading look.

It wasn't long before Harry's name was called and the Hall grew quiet. As he started to walk forward, he heard all kinds of whispering ranging from 'that's not how he looked on the books' to things about him being a hero and how they all hoped he was in their house. He also noticed several professors lean forward in their seats as he made his way to the stool. Once on the stool and with the hat pulled on his head, he heard a voice.

"_Ah, Mr. Potter. Your sorting has been much anticipated. I dare say I've had way too many conversations about you recently. In order to get some relief, let's get this over with. Ah, I feel that you could fit into any house easily. You have a fine mind. You are loyal to those who are loyal to you not that there have been many. You are cunning and ambitious with a thirst to prove that you're not just the boy-who-lived. And you are brave to a fault. You step into the unknown without a second glance just because you use your nobility and morality to determine what is right and wrong. I dare say that is your most dominant trait and think Gryffindor would be the best place for you."_

_Harry laughed "You've got to be kidding me. I'm terrified here and you sit on my head telling me how brave I am. Please put me with Pansy."_

"_In Slytherin, no…my own counsel I'll use. Bedsides, I'll have to listen to the old goat prattle on and on about why I didn't place you there."_

"_Please…I'm begging you."_

"_I'm sorry Mr. Potter but even I answer to someone else. Just be careful as you have more to worry about in the house of lions than you do the house of the snakes. They would accept you but the lions want to use you and your fame."_

Pansy watched as the sorting was taking so long for Harry. She could see the pain on his face and watched as a tear ran down his cheek. She knew they wouldn't be together and found she was once again alone. She waited with baited breath for the hat to make its announcement.

"_Please Mr. Hat. Why are you doing this? Aren't I allowed to be happy?"_

"_I am truly sorry Mr. Potter but it is as it has to be."_

"BETTER BE… GRYFFINDOR!"

As the students began to clap, he noticed that the Gryffindor table was going crazy while the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables were politely clapping. When his eyes turned towards Slytherin, he was met with nasty glares from the whole house and when he sought out Pansy, her head was bowed and she wouldn't look up and make eye contact with him. It was then that his stomach lurched and he knew he was alone once again. He made his way over to the Gryffindor table and sat quietly away from the others. He was allowed to be with his thoughts until Ron Weasley was sorted and immediately set up camp beside him.

He sat and listened as the man who had affected his life so much up to this point made a few comments before the food appeared on the table. The thoughts of his life excluding the last month along with his separation from Pansy by being forced into a house he wanted no part of made his appetite disappear quickly. When the food appeared on the table, he placed very few things on his plate despite how hungry he was earlier.

It was like something in him snapped when he was taken away from Pansy and placed where someone else wanted him. He had no doubt that it was the work of the Headmaster just continuing to try and control his life even more than before. Inside, he felt a new determination rise up. If they wanted him to be something other than who he was, he would give them something they never expected.

As he ate in silence, he tuned out everything that was said to him until a slimy hand covered with food grabbed his arm. As Harry looked down at the hand print on his robes, he noticed that Weasley was talking a mile a minute which was just as fast as he was shoveling food into his mouth. Harry recoiled when some of the food sprayed back out and on his robes. As he looked on in disgust, he shoved his plate away and slid down as far away from the boy as he could.

Several professors caught Harry's reaction to Ron and watched the scene unfold. When Ron scooted down to continue his assault on Harry, he did the only thing he could and stood. His eyes scanned the Gryffindor table for another empty spot but couldn't find one. He then did the only thing he could think of and went and stood beside the wall as Ron Weasley glared at him.

The eyes of the professors grew wide at his display and with a nod from Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall got up and went to him. "Is there a problem Mr. Potter?"

"No ma'am. I just needed to stretch my legs."

"You need to retake your seat for the end of feast announcements."

"May I sit at another table?"

"You most certainly may not."

"Then I prefer to stand."

"May I ask why?"

"I prefer not to sit beside the eating machine. His eating is unsettling and I refuse to have to deal with that."

"Be that as it may, you need to sit back down."

"Could you conjure a chair for me here?"

"I…I suppose I could do it this time but after the feast, I want you to wait for me so that we may have a talk in my office."

"Yes ma'am."

Once the feast was over, Harry was led out of the Great Hall by McGonagall. When they got to her office, she pointed him to a chair.

"Now Mr. Potter, what seems to be the problem other than Mr. Weasley's atrocious manners? Which, I promise you, I will address at once."

"Madam, I mean no disrespect but I have just heard that I was sorted before I ever got to the school. Despite my pleadings, the hat placed me in your house against my wishes."

"I see. I'm sorry but the sorting hat's decision is final."

"Even when he was told to place me in your house? I'm sure Gryffindor is a fine house but it would not have been my first choice."

"I don't understand. Your parents were some of my favorite lions. You are a legacy for Gryffindor house."

Harry sat thinking about how to say what he needed to. Professor McGonagall watched him as he thought. "Madam, while I can appreciate the fact that my parents were Lions, I was raised believing they were drunks who didn't care enough about me to see to my needs. Since I was brought back into this world, the only thing I have learned about them is that I look like my father and have my mother's eyes. You say I should be in Gryffindor yet I could not have learned any of their traits since I wasn't raised by them and know absolutely nothing about them. The people I was left with were not kind and despite extensive healing, I still have scars from my time with them."

She sat back in shock. "I didn't know. I was told you were being well taken care of and were completely aware of this world and your place in it."

"Madam, the extent of my exposure to this world has been at the hands of some people who were kind enough to teach me as much as they could in so short a time. I know my reputation as a hero of the light and that may have been true had I been raised differently but the truth is, I wasn't and if I were to classify myself, I think it would be more neutral than anything else. I know I'm not dark but don't see myself as light either. That more than anything tells me that I am a bad fit for your house."

Harry was impressed that his logical argument came out as well as it did and managed to impress Professor McGonagall. "You make a good point which was well reasoned. For a first year, it was impressive but I can't change the hat's decision."

"Then I guess we are stuck with each other."

"It seems so. Out of respect for James and Lily, I promise to help you as much as I can while you're here Mr. Potter but you'll have to help yourself as well."

"Would it be possible to keep Weasley away from me? He insulted me and a friend on the train and didn't help his case by what he did in the Great Hall."

"I'll try. May I ask a question?"

Harry nodded.

"Which house would you have preferred?"

"Slytherin"

She gasped "Why?"

"That's where my best and only friend is."

"May I ask who?"

"Pansy Parkinson. She is the first friend I've ever had and now your school has taken that away from me."

"You're just in different houses. You can still remain friends."

Harry looked at her for a minute before asking "Do you really believe that?"

Her only reply was to look down. "Will you escort me to the dorm? I guess it's time to get acquainted with my housemates."

As soon as they got into the common room, McGonagall called over a prefect. "Mr. Baxter, will you see Mr. Potter to the first year dorms?"

"Yes Ma'am."

As he was led upstairs, the prefect didn't say much except to stop at a door and say "Well, here you are. Welcome to the house of the brave."

"Thanks"

As he walked into the dorm, it was obvious that Ron had already turned the group against him by the glares he got. He found his trunk by the bed furthest away from the door and a little away from the others. It looked as if someone tried to get into it and failed badly. When he looked at the hands of the others, he smirked when he saw burn marks on the hands of Ron and a boy named Seamus. He then turned back around and placed his wand against a rune on the trunk, when it flashed with a blue light, a boy named Neville came over and asked "What was that?"

"A security rune. I just turned up the power. The next time someone messes with my trunk, it won't be so pleasant."

He heard Ron say "See I told you he was a dark wizard."

"Not dark Mr. Weasley. Just someone who doesn't want someone messing with my stuff and if I was so dark, why were you slobbering all over me at the feast?"

Ron sputtered and turned around. When there wasn't a response, he started undressing. When his shirt was removed, there were several gasps as they saw the scars on his back.

"Blimey mate. Which adventure did you get those scars from?"

Harry laughed. "You mean those books?"

He got several nods.

"No adventure. But it was a monster that gave it to me."

Ron asked "What a dragon? A manticore?"

"Nope, my fat uncle."

With that said Harry went to the loo and then returned to his bed where he pulled his curtains as he laid down. He buried his face in his pillow thankful that Faith told him that there were silencing charms on the curtains. He then let go of his emotions and cried himself to sleep.

**PH**

While Harry was speaking with Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape was giving his welcome speech in the Slytherin dorms. As soon as he turned the meeting over to the prefects and left the common room, the seventh year prefect named Rosier took over the meeting.

"This is for all you first years. Slytherin House stands on its own in this school. You may be friendly with members of Ravenclaw House and may even socialize with members of Hufflepuff if you have the desire to lower yourself but there will be no associating with members of Gryffindor house whatsoever. If you are found being friendly with them, we will make your life miserable for the next seven years. Just so you understand the reality of the situation, there's no way to be resorted so this will be your house until you graduate. As Professor Snape said, there will be no dissention once you leave this dorm. To do so will place the rest of the house against you."

Once they were dismissed, Pansy made her way to her dorm room where she got ready for bed and pulled her curtains as she climbed in. Once they were closed, another student made use of the silencing charms and cried herself to sleep. The only thought running through her head was why Harry chose Gryffindor. She would have to find a way to talk to him to get her answers but her first reaction after a lifetime of rejection of the other kids was that now that he had other people to be with, he pushed her aside.

**HP**

The only time they ever saw each other was in class and neither had the opportunity to talk as they were always under the watchful eyes of their housemates. The only thing they were able to do was share glances every once in a while. In Gryffindor House, Harry was getting just as much pressure to conform to their ways as Pansy was in Slytherin. Another rule she was subjected to was the one that required her to travel around the school with her Slytherin year mates. Once Draco remembered who she traveled with to the school, she was placed under even more scrutiny and was not allowed to speak to anyone outside of Slytherin House.

She watched as Harry bucked the system at every turn which did not earn him any respect from either his house or the professors. During class, many of them were especially hard on him and as a result, others in the school saw it as an opportunity to taunt and harass their savior. As a result, Harry was slowly changing back into the introverted boy she first met and it broke her heart.

One thing she knew was that Slytherin House was made up of opportunists and no where was it more evident than in Draco Malfoy. As soon as it seemed that it was open season on Harry Potter and no Gryffindors were willing to stand up for him, Draco forgot all about the offer of friendship on the train. For the purebloods, it was like blood in the water and they were the sharks. Since Harry moved through the castle alone, they began to track his movements so that they could have a shot at him. A few days before Halloween, they caught him unaware and began a ruthless verbal assault that took in a broad range of insults. The most hurtful to Harry were the words about his parents. People he didn't even have the chance to get to know and who he had only heard vague references too.

He was becoming used to the taunts as he got even more inside his common room. The thing that shocked him the most was when he saw Pansy standing among his tormentors. It wasn't that she said anything bad to him, it was just she stood there as they said all the things that would hurt him the most. A lot of what he was tormented with hit pretty close to the mark as some of the things he had only told her as they lay on either one of their beds talking late into the night.

It was the sad look in his emerald green eyes that hurt the most. The look of hurt and disappointment was the worst and something that she would have to live with for the rest of her life. What hurt even more was when he turned and walked away while the rest of her housemates continued to taunt the boy who was her friend and who she should have stood up for.

That was the night that she realized just how far she had fallen. It was out of fear of what her dorm mates would do to her that caused her to just stand there but deep inside, she knew she had allowed the most precious thing in her life to die. There were many times from that day forward that she would try to catch his eye but he would not even look at her. When she was allowed some free time to think, she knew that Harry thought she had betrayed his confidences. It was something she would never do but with them being unable to talk to one another, he didn't know that.

Halloween came a week later and she didn't see Harry at the feast. She later learned through the rumor mill that he stayed in his dorm for the evening as he didn't feel like celebrating the death of his parents. She realized it was another failure on her part because she should have been there for him. She was brought out of internal berating she was giving herself by the door to the Great Hall slamming open and Professor Quirrell running in and announcing that there was a troll on the loose in the castle. The students were quickly escorted to their common rooms where they remained for the night. With no way to escape, she was forced to endure Draco's bragging about what he would do if he faced a troll and how disappointed he was that he would not get the chance to show everyone in the school the power of the Malfoy line. As she glanced around her housemates, she was shocked that so many of them were actually buying his crap. She imagined Draco coming up on the troll and crapping his pants at the sight and had to fight back a snort at the thought.

The next day, she learned that the bushy haired girl from the train had been in a toilet all day thanks to being ridiculed by Ron Weasley. When the troll was announced, Ron thought he'd show that he was just as heroic as Harry Potter and went in search of it. They heard screams and went to see what was going on and found Miss Granger curled up in a ball under the sink as the troll bore down on her. The mere sight of the troll made Ron panic and in an attempt to trap the beast, he locked Miss Granger inside the toilet with the troll. The rumor mill said that the professors were alerted to its whereabouts by her ear piercing screams. Even though she only met the girl once, she felt sorry for the girl and her parents as she was transferred to St Mungos and they didn't give her much of a chance to live. She learned a week later that she died from her injuries. Pansy was disgusted by the fact that Ronald Weasley was not punished for the part he played in the whole thing.

**PH**

The first term came to an end as well as a letter she should have known was coming. In it, her mother asked why Harry was declining the invitation to spend the holidays with their family. That statement destroyed her hopes that would allow her to explain everything and apologize to him.

She had watched as her mother's owl delivered letter after letter to Harry only for him to never open them after that incident in the hallway. It hurt her to know that she was going to be a part of the pain her parents would feel at Harry's rejection and she had subtly picked up each one out of the waste bin after he had thrown them there. The guilt at what she caused was eating her up inside and knew that it would be confession time with her mother soon.

On the day that the students were returning to London, she searched the Great Hall for him as breakfast was being served. She looked at him with pleading eyes only to have him turn away and make his way back up the stairs towards Gryffindor tower.

She found a compartment to herself and wasn't disturbed as she cried all the way to London. When her mother picked her up at Kings Cross, it was obvious that something was wrong. That entire night was spent between mother and daughter as Pansy poured out her heart over everything that had happened. It was also how they put together that the time when Harry stopped writing to her was around the end of October which was the same time as the confrontation that Pansy stood there silently for.

Faith told Pansy that at the beginning of the term, Harry sent her regular letters but never said anything about the separation of the two friends. She told Pansy about how Harry wrote to her telling of how free he felt when he was on a broom. He even told her that everyone said he was such a natural flyer that he was offered the position of seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The news thrilled her as she knew he was struggling to be accepted by the house and this would help him make friends. At his request, she went to Griphook and showed him a letter from Harry asking her to get the money from his vault and purchase a 'good' broom with it. That was the last time he mentioned it so she forgot all about it as Griphook said he would handle it.

Pansy told her that Harry began practicing with the team but then quit and refused to fly anymore or at least that's what the rumor mill said. Both of the Parkinson girls were confused at the sudden change and wouldn't learn of what happened until much later.

The truth was that at his third practice, the Weasley twins brutalized him with the bludger at the urging of their younger brother while the rest of the team watched and said nothing. After being completely bloody and bruised and having several broken bones, Harry limped off the field carrying the two pieces of his Nimbus broom and never returned. Gryffindor House had to scramble for a last minute seeker and lost horribly to Slytherin in their first match. Not wanting to be anywhere near the team, Harry stayed in the library during the match and didn't hear of the disaster until later.

After their horrible performance, the entire house watched as Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, approached Harry and begged him to come back to the team. The laughter that came out of Harry didn't endear him to the Quidditch crazy fans of the house and was seen by all as dishonoring their house. They watched as Oliver had tears in his eyes as he walked away from Harry carrying a bill for one destroyed Nimbus 2000. His parting words were equally as harsh. "You know, I wanted to play with you guys more than anything but after what happened in practice, there was no way I would play a match where I had to _trust_ in you to protect me from the other team."

Harry walked out of the common room as many members of the house turned and started asking the questions that the entire team didn't want to answer. It wasn't long before the Weasley family was beginning to have problems in Gryffindor House thanks to their actions towards Harry.

**HP**

On Christmas morning, Hedwig soared into the house and landed on the arm of Faith's chair. As soon as she untied the letter, Hedwig was back in the air and flying out of the house despite Pansy's pleading for her to stop. When she opened the letter, she read it and then sighed.

"What does it say Mummy?"

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson,_

_I wanted to take a moment on this holiday and thank you again for all that you did for me. No one has ever made any kind of effort on my behalf and I will be eternally grateful for that. I wanted to apologize for not coming to your home for the holidays but I felt that my presence would have been disruptive during a time dedicated to family._

_I wanted you to know that I remain healthy which is due to your efforts. And despite the arguments I know you will make to the contrary, I have asked Griphook to take care of compensating you for the tasks you performed while I was under your care._

_I'm sorry things haven't worked out better but this term has taught me a lesson I learned growing up. At its essence, I learned to never trust or let anyone inside since it only leads to pain. It also taught me to never be in anyone's debt._

_Again, I wanted to thank you for your efforts on my behalf and say goodbye as we will probably never cross paths again._

_Respectfully, _

_Harry James Potter_

Pansy bolted out of her seat and ran to her room sobbing. When Faith's eyes met Roger's, the only thing she could say was "If things keep going this badly for him, he won't stay much longer."

Roger sat there for a minute before he said "Can't say as I really blame him."

"Me either"

**PH**

Harry woke up Christmas morning to four presents at then end of his bed. The first was obviously a broom which he looked at with disdain. He read the note as one of his roommates and his brothers looked on and recognized the handwriting of his head of house. Before he even looked at the other presents, he picked it up and carried it through the common room as those who remained at school watched. He turned right as soon as he cleared the portrait and quickly found himself in front of Professor McGonagall's office. When he knocked and she bade him to come in, he walked to her desk and placed the broom on top. He spoke evenly the whole time as he made his argument.

"I thank you for the gesture but I cannot accept this Professor. Go get your money back."

She waved him off. "Nonsense, it replaces the one you bought that was destroyed."

"Yes ma'am it would but you were not the one to destroy my other one."

"It was still the Gryffindor players who did it. I feel somewhat responsible for what happened. You only took the position after I talked you into it."

"Yes ma'am but if you really wanted to do something about it, you would have punished them for it instead of trying to buy their way out by using your own money to get a new one. I'm sorry but the only replacement broom I will even consider will be bought and paid for by those who allowed and caused it to happen."

"I'm sorry but they won't do it."

"Very well, my broom was bought for 8000 galleons as it was special ordered and not an off the rack model. I am formally demanding compensation for the incident. I think that if I demanded their brooms as compensation, I might get enough for them to replace my broken one but I doubt it."

She half pleaded. "Mr. Potter, that is completely unreasonable. I have offered you a replacement broom in compensation."

"Yes ma'am but if I may, you bought an off the rack model whose value is 3000 galleons less than my original one. You expect me to pick it up, go back to my room, and be happy with something less than I had."

"But…"

"Madam, I can tell you it's not the money. I have more than enough to buy a thousand more just like the one I had. What it boils down to is I had nothing growing up. I showed up in Diagon Alley in my cousin's hand me down clothes. The glasses I used to wear were bought at a second hand shop and were barely acceptable. I was forced to live as a slave because you people thought it was what was best for me. I have scars all over my back due to the loving attention of my 'uncle'. You may say that those things happened in that world but I say it was all due to things people in this world did. …I guess what I'm trying to say is that I grew up with nothing and treasure everything I have now. I find it insulting that I am held accountable for every little thing I do but others can destroy an 8000 galleon broom or taunt me anytime they feel like it and know that they won't be punished for it. I also find it insulting that you condone their behavior by trying to buy me off."

Her hackles were raised and she huffed out. "That was not my intention Mr. Potter."

"Yet they remain unpunished. Ma'am, contrary to popular belief, I am not stupid. I know I am as much of an outcast as Miss Granger was. I'm just surprised I haven't been killed for it as well."

"MR. POTTER!"

"Merry Christmas Professor. You can tell your little Quidditch team that they will be hearing from my solicitor in the near future to work out an appropriate settlement."

"It was an accident."

"Pensieve evidence says otherwise. Oh and Professor, I may be eleven years old but I have some very good advisors."

When Harry went back to his dorm, the presents that were on his bed looked as if they were shredded with a knife. He picked them up and walked back to McGonagall's office. When he knocked and she reluctantly asked him to enter, he walked in and threw the packages on her desk.

"What's this now Mr. Potter?"

"These are what remain of the presents I left lying on my bed when I came to see you a few minutes ago."

He reached over and ripped open the first package that she recognized had the Headmaster's writing on it. "Let's look at the note….ah a family heirloom that was kept from me and returned only to be destroyed. Let's see, from what I've been taught, heirlooms of the old families are usually considered priceless. I guess this was an accident as well."

She winced as he ripped open the next package. He pulled out a cut up dragon hide jacket. She knew it was an expensive piece of clothing. His scathing tone barked out "Hmm…another expensive accident I think."

As he got to the last package, she reached out and said "Enough Mr. Potter. You've made your point."

"Will the people responsible for this be punished or will I be sent back to my room and be expected to just accept things as they are?"

Her biggest mistake was that she had no answer for him. As he grabbed up the packages, he turned towards the door.

"What are you planning on doing Mr. Potter? I will not tolerate retaliation."

"That's rich coming from the lady who allows things like this to go unpunished. If you must know, I think I'm going to do what I should have done my second week at this _school_."

"And what is that?"

"Don't worry about it."

He slammed the door on his way out and made it back to his dorm only to see people smirking at him. He made his way up the stairs and into his room where he packed the few items he allowed to remain outside his trunk. He got dressed and then closed up his trunk. His next step was to touch his wand to the rune on the trunk that shrunk it down. Once he pocketed it, he strolled out through the common room and into the corridor. He followed the few others heading to the Great Hall but when he got to the entrance, he turned and heading out onto the grounds. Before he knew it, he was outside the gates and heading to the town he saw in the distance that he knew to be the magical community known as Hogsmeade.

**HP**

One use of the floo later and he stepped out into the Leaky Cauldron where he casually waved at Tom before opening the archway and disappearing into the alley. He stepped into Gringotts and approached a teller.

"I know its Christmas but I really need to talk to Griphook. Would you see if he is available?"

"Name?"

"Harry Potter"

"Wait just a moment."

"Thank you"

A few minutes later, Griphook walked into the lobby and asked "What can I do for you Mr. Potter?"

"In private please?"

"Of course"

Once they were back in his office, Griphook asked again "What can I do for you Mr. Potter?"

"Did you make those other arrangements in case things didn't work out at Hogwarts?"

Griphook's eyebrows rose. "Of course. May I ask why?"

"Things aren't working out and I need to go somewhere else."

"The Salem Academy in America has held a place open for you." He pulled a piece of paper from his desk and looked it over. "I can have you on a plane heading there at two pm. Will that be acceptable?"

"Yes Sir and thank you."

"That's what I'm here for. You will need to go to our Salem branch and they will have everything arranged for you. I will contact them at once."

"Again thank you"

"May I ask whether Miss Parkinson will be joining you?"

"Um…not that I know of. She's not even aware I'm doing this."

"You were very close. May I ask what happened?"

"She found better friends."

"I see. I'm going to send a notice to your new Headmaster to have you see a mind healer once you get there."

"Why?"

"I think it would do you good to talk out your problems with someone. From what I know, your childhood has left scars not only on your body but on your personality as well and quite frankly, I don't really want to see you go dark because of all you have been through. Even if you don't agree with me, please at least give it a try."

"Why would you care?"

Griphook smiled. "Well, don't tell anyone this but I like you and I would like us to have a long and profitable working relationship. It's good for both of us and to be quite honest, if you were to be classified as a dark lord, I would lose all this money you allow me to play with."

Harry sarcastically said. "Thanks for caring."

Griphook smiled. "Harry…James and Lily were good people and I see a lot of you in them. They would want you to get help. I want you to get help. If you would speak to the Parkinsons, I'm sure they would want you to get help. Have you even spoken to them about what you are doing?"

"No I haven't. Their daughter has decided I am not worthy of her attention anymore so as far as I am concerned, their opinion no longer matters."

Griphook shook his head. "You are way too young to be as jaded as a Goblin towards the wizarding world. I think you will be happier away from your reputation."

Harry sighed "Oh yeah…my reputation."

Griphook placed a hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head but said. "It was nothing more than I expected after my life growing up. All I ever wanted was the chance to have a real friend and even that was taken away from me. I'll give the mind healers a try."

"Harry, you have lived a hard life for being so young. I can understand how you feel at this time but things will get better as you gain more control over your life. Don't let the actions of the people here cause you to not let anyone else have a chance. Even a Goblin cannot live a solitary life."

"I will try. Thank you Griphook, for everything. Oh, tell Mr. Screwem to proceed with the case. All they wanted to do was sweep it under the table so he needs to take everything he can from them."

"I'm sure he will enjoy it immensely."

He expanded his trunk and pulled out the shredded Christmas gifts which he then laid on Griphook's desk. "Tell him that he can add these to the damages. I'm sure the coat was a gift from the Parkinson's and I'm not sure about the cloak. It says something about being my father's."

Griphook gasped and picked up the package. He ran his hands over the material and took notice of its shredded state. "I am familiar with the cloak and the legend surrounding it made it priceless. I…I am sorry for all they put you through."

Harry nodded. "It would have been nice to have something that belonged to my Dad. Oh well, its just something else that world has denied me. You can tell Mr. Screwem that Professor McGonagall tried to buy me off by offering a lesser broom as a replacement. To me she all but admitted their guilt and the staff's knowledge of it. She told me that there was nothing that could be done about the Christmas packages as there were no witnesses."

Griphook growled out "Of course."

Harry sat there for a minute before he looked up. "I hate to ask anymore of you but I have another request."

Griphook motioned for him to continue.

"Could you set up another school for me in case things don't work out in Salem? Maybe a non-magical boarding school somewhere that I won't be found?"

"I will but I hate to see you walk away from the world you were born into."

Harry laughed "That's the problem Sir. I may have been born into that world but it feels like they have done everything they could to make me feel like I'm not welcome in it. You can tell me it's the reactions of an unhappy child but…"

"I understand Harry and in a way, agree with you. I could fall back on my heritage and tell you that the Goblin way was to fight for what is ours but at the same time, it takes a mature mind to realize when the fight is unwinnable."

The two of them sat and talked for a while before it came time for Harry to get to the airport. Throughout the discussion, Griphook guided the conversation so that he could gain certain knowledge that would allow him to help Harry more in the future.

When it was finally time to leave, Harry said "I apologize for taking up so much of your Christmas but I do appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it. It is just another day for my people. We have a similar holiday that falls in little over a month so you haven't taken anything from me."

**PH**

At two pm, Harry was sitting on a plane that was taxiing down the runway of Gatwick airport on his way to a new life in the Americas. Griphook planned his trip in two legs in case anyone tried to follow him and Gatwick was the hub that British Airways used for flights to the Caribbean. It was from there that he would catch a flight what would take him to Boston and the Salem Academy. Due to his age, Griphook already arranged for a liaison from the Salem branch to pick Harry up at the airport and take him to their branch so that all their business could be handled. He also made a point to contact the Headmistress at Salem and inform her that her new student would be arriving within two days. As soon as the plane lifted in the air, Harry breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally over.

**HP**

At the same time in the Headmaster's office, McGonagall was finally getting the chance to talk about her conversation with Harry Potter. As was his routine, he normally left Christmas morning to visit old friends and attend family business. Minerva has known him for a lot of years and knew that family business meant spending time at the graves of his mother and sister. He had a shock on this particular visit when he saw a wreath of white roses laid on the grave of James and Lily Potter. What caught him off guard was that this was the first time it had been done in the ten years since they were murdered. He couldn't help but think it was more than a coincidence that this as the year that Harry Potter also returned to the wizarding world.

As they sat drinking tea in silence, he finally looked up and asked "Did you have a wreath placed at James and Lily's grave?"

"No…it never occurred to me. Some friend I have turned out to be. I don't honor their deaths at holidays and alienate their son in the first few months he is at Hogwarts."

"Whatever do you mean? I'm sure you a have done your best for young Harry."

"I'm beginning to think we have all failed Mr. Potter and this year has been the icing on the cake."

"I'm not following you."

"This is a conversation that could take hours so I have a better idea." She put her wand to her temple and pulled a long strand of white vapor from it. Albus was already moving towards his pensieve and got it ready for her memory. Once she placed it inside, they both went into the memory.

Once they were back out and in their seats, all Albus could say was "That was one angry young man. He blames us for everything?"

"Yes, with good reason. He knows we placed him in that house when he was a baby and he sees his life as one redeeming month before that too was taken from him. For God's sake Albus, you should have let him go into whatever house he wanted."

"He needed to be in Gryffindor to learn the traits needed for his future."

"And that has worked out so well. Tell me Albus, do you know how many times he has been injured since he came back?"

"No"

"And neither do I as he never goes to see Poppy. Even after the Quidditch incident where he was bloody and had broken bones. He never once was treated. That doesn't even cover the times he was hurt while being hexed in the hallways."

"But why?"

"It was quite clear to me that he has no faith in anyone in this castle. If he had left for the holidays, I would be pretty sure that he would not have returned."

"Perhaps we need to go speak with Mr. Potter."

Needless to say, Harry couldn't be found and his missing trunk never even registered with them. The only other first year to remain in the castle was Ron Weasley and he wasn't about to answer any questions about Harry knowing the large part he and his brothers played in the destruction of Harry's presents. The staff kept a look out for Harry for the rest of the holidays and it wasn't until he failed to show up for classes that they realized something was wrong.

When Albus received the reports, he went over to the devices on the shelf that kept track of Harry and as soon as he touched them, they fell apart since there was no longer any enchantment holding them together. A visit to Gringotts told him all he needed to know when all that was said was that Mr. Potter had sought his education away from the shores of Great Britain.

**PH**

Over the holidays, Pansy made the decision that no matter what her housemates said, she was going to repair the damaged friendship between them. On the night of the return feast after the holidays, she scoured the Gryffindor table looking for her best friend and grew nervous when she didn't see him. She suffered the same problem during breakfast the next morning and really began to panic when he didn't show up for classes. In her anxiety, she skipped the next class and used that time to write a letter to her parents. The pain she felt in her heart grew even more when she went to the owlery and saw no sign of Hedwig.

The letter from their daughter set Roger and Faith in motion. Roger knew that if anyone knew what was going on with Harry, it would be Griphook. One look to his wife and she said "Go, I'll handle things here."

As roger was escorted into Griphook's office, the Goblin looked up and said "I was wondering how long it would take for you to come."

"I know it violates your confidentiality clause but do you know where he is? Is he safe?"

Griphook shuffled some papers on his desk. "Yes, I know where he is and he is in good hands."

"Will you tell me where he went?"

Griphook shifted in his seat. "I'm sorry Mr. Parkinson but I will not. Mr. Potter made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with the British magical world from this point on. If I were to violate that trust and he were to be brought back, I fear it would damage not only my reputation and that of Gringotts but my relationship with that young man as well."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No, according to my bank balance, I still don't own Harry Potter. Dang shame too!

AN: Thanks for the words of encouragement and for taking the time to read the stuff I put on here. I hope you enjoyed this little break from reality. Sorry, I had to add some more after reading reviews…you guys are great and most of you had me laughing as I read them. Thank you…thank you…thank you! BTW, thanks to some of your responses, I went back and added a good bit more to tie things up.

AN2: Also, it needs to be said that Harry is an abused child. The one person who was in the process of bringing him out of his shell has been taken from him and with no other friends due to the way Gryffindor was treating him, his answer to most everything was just to bear it and move on. I hope that answers your concerns about the way Harry acts. I hope you will also note how different Harry could be in a more friendly environment.

Chapter 3

Harry found his exodus from England to be both exciting and tiring. His flight out of Gatwick brought him across the ocean to a place Harry had only ever dreamed about. As he flew over St Kitts, Harry hoped he would have one of those layovers that the man next to him kept complaining about. He wanted to see the blue ocean and actually walk on a beach and put his bare toes in the sand.

Unfortunately, Griphook's arrangements kept Harry's safety at the forefront and the tickets for the next leg of his trip were waiting for him at the desk of a company called American Airlines. When he left Gringotts yesterday, all he had on him was his trunk safely stashed in his pocket, an instruction letter, and his passport. The letter also told him that he was given a student visa so that he could attend school in the U.S. and would pick that up at the Salem Branch.

After landing and finding his way to the American Airlines desk, he was informed much to his disappointment that his flight was leaving in thirty minutes. His next stop was Miami but luckily for him, his ticket was waiting for him at the gate as he exited. A quick look told him that he had an hour before his next flight and he set out to find something to eat and maybe wash up a little. Four hours later found him in Boston and being whisked off to the Gringotts branch there.

After completing all his business, another representative came and escorted him to Salem Academy. Once there, he was introduced to the Headmistress who went over all the rules. As she was showing him to his dorm, she told him she knew his mother and if he would like to meet sometime, she could share some stories of their adventures together. Harry thanked her as she deposited him in his dorm room and introduced him to his new roommate…Tim.

She left so that the boys could get acquainted. "Harry Potter huh? You _THAT_ Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, I suppose so but…I'm not like anything you might have read. I'm just Harry."

"Cool…you know… your name carries a lot of weight around here too. We'll never be hurting for dates in a few years."

Harry laughed. "Yeah if we're lucky but I don't know. There's someone back home. I'm kinda hoping things will work out with her one day."

"Wow…at eleven too. Must be the accent."

Harry laughed again. "She's got the same accent."

Tim chuckled. "Yeah. I spose she does."

They made small talk as Harry enlarged his trunk and then started putting his things away. Tim watched and noticed the clothes Harry was getting out. "Man that stuff is way too formal for around here."

"What am I supposed to wear?"

"Um…I don't mean to embarrass you but do you have any money?"

Harry chuckled. "A little."

"Why don't we go down to the common room and see if a couple of my friends are there? They would be good to help you pick out some stuff to help you blend in. We can pick up some other stuff too. We'll make a 'Merican' out of you before the end of the week."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, I don't really want to stand out. I got enough of that at Hogwarts."

"I bet."

Harry was introduced to two girls named Jennifer and Tasha. He thought they were cute but couldn't hold a candle to Pansy. Harry discovered that the students were given a lot of freedom as long as they didn't violate any rules or laws. One of their freedoms was a port key chamber that deposited them at a nearby mall. The mall turned out to be a non-magical one which had a magical section tied to it. The kids explained that in America, both communities lived side by side even though the normal side wasn't aware of the magical one. They also said that unlike England, you'd never be able to tell the magicals from the non-magicals.

They spent several hours there before Harry was too tired to continue. He bought each of them something which they picked out as a thank you for taking their time to help him.

**PH**

The next day was Saturday so during lunch, they strolled into the Great Hall and approached the head table but not before stopping by the Slytherin table and whispering something to their daughter which led her to hurry out of the dining hall.

Once they were standing in front of the head table, Albus asked "Good afternoon Roger and Faith. What brings you to Hogwarts on this fine day?"

"We came to collect our daughter."

"May I ask what for?"

"Of course. You see we are moving her to another school"

"May I ask why?"

"The reports I've received have left me wondering at the competency of the staff. Some of the things I've heard about have made my skin crawl. You should be happy I am only removing my daughter and not going to the board about these incidences."

"May I ask what incidents you are referring to?"

"The ones concerning my daughter's close friend Harry Potter. Over the holidays, I've learned quite a bit about the workings of this school and I can honestly say I am proud of that young man for taking a stand and leaving these shores. We have decided to follow his example and start fresh somewhere else and can only hope that one day we will find him so that Pansy and Harry can repair the damage you have done."

Albus looked at him for a long time without saying a word. Minerva finally said "If you see him, please tell him how sorry I am for all that happened. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

Faith snapped out. "I hope you can't. Lily was like a daughter to you and you basically allowed your grandson to live in that hell all this time. If she were alive today, you would both be puddles of slime on the floor."

Albus answered in his usual spiel. "We did what we thought was best for the boy."

Faith snarled at the old man. "You did what you thought was best? Was that for his benefit or yours Albus? While we're on the subject of what is best for Harry, we've read the wills and know about Sirius Black and what you did to him. As we speak, there is a team from the ICW taking custody of him so that he can get a proper trial."

Albus paled but the hall was distracted when a smiling and happy Pansy Parkinson came running up to her parents. As soon as she got to them, Faith asked "Do you have everything?"

"Yes mum, can we go find Harry now? I've got some groveling to do."

Roger smiled at his daughter and then turned a hateful glare to Albus. "I also wanted to let you know that charges are being filed against you for dereliction of your self appointed duty as Harry's magical guardian. We personally handed Madam Bones the results of the medical scans we performed on Mr. Potter before we healed him of everything including the cursed scar you left unattended. We were just lucky that we managed to remove it before the damage became permanent."

Albus looked stunned and then Faith got in another shot. "Before you say anything about the Greater Good, where is in anyone's benefit to leave a child to suffer through the problems that cursed scar caused him? Where was it in the benefit of the Greater Good to leave a child to be abused for ten years?"

Not waiting for an answer, Roger and Faith each grabbed a hand of their daughter as they walked out of the castle and away from the place that had recently caused so much heartache for their family.

**HP**

When the family of three arrived home, Roger led them into the family lounge so that they could talk.

"Pansy, did Harry ever tell you about the backup plan?"

"What back up plan?"

"Hmmm…okay, I was never given details but I do know that Harry and Griphook came up with a back up plan in case things didn't go well at Hogwarts. I do know that you were to be included in the plan and we would be informed so that we could make a decision when it was used."

"Harry never said anything. Do you think he did this while we were at school? I know a lot of people made the comment about how many letters Harry sent out. They were wondering who he could be writing since he didn't have any parents."

She thought for a minute before tears ran down her face. "I'd bet it was set up before Halloween if I was still included. That's when things went down hill and he refused to even look at me. The other kids, they were saying things to him. They were things that he only ever told me. I know he thinks I told them so that they could use it against him."

Faith frowned. "Its no wonder Harry left with the way he was treated. And don't worry baby. I know you would never tell the things he told you."

Tears were streaming even more. "You're not the one I need to make believe me."

"You'll get your chance dear. We can promise you that at least."

Roger sat back in thought. "You said they used things against him that only you would know? As in secrets between you?"

"Yes Daddy"

Faith looked at him. "What are you thinking?"

"Honey, how much were you exposed to Professor Snape?"

"He called me into his office twice. He sat there and looked at me for a while. It creeped me out and I actually had a headache when I left. Why?"

Faith snarled. "That ass was reading your mind baby. He then told his little godson all the juicy details."

Roger said "Guess we have something else to add to the pile."

"What are we going to do now Daddy?"

"I'm sorry to tell you this but at this point; we have no idea where Harry is. I need you to give me and your mother a month to take care of some things. Once that is done, we are moving away from England like I should have done the day you were born. I'm sorry baby but I never meant for you to grow up being shunned by everyone."

Pansy got up and hugged her father. "It's okay Daddy. I know you were trying to take care of us. Besides, if we left, I would have never met Harry."

They talked through dinner about what they would do and the next morning found Roger in Griphook's office once again. The meeting was a bit different this time as Roger contracted Gringotts to oversee the sale of the their business as well as engage the wards on the house that would seal it up once they left until the day they decided to return to England. The way the Parkinsons were taking action to leave England caused Griphook to break just a little in his silence about where Harry was located.

Roger asked "We have had a positive reaction to the feelers we put out concerning the new location of our practice. Would you have any suggestions?"

Griphook sat there for a minute before he said "I think you'd find Boston to be a more favorable location. There is also a really good school there that would allow Miss Parkinson to remain in your home while she attends."

When he got home that evening, he looked at Faith and just said 'Maybe you should contact Tess Roberts at Salem and see if she might have a place for Pansy."

She merely looked at him for a moment and then when she saw the small smile on his face, she knew that was where Harry was located. She breathed a sigh of relief as their current plans were to start canvassing the different magical schools of the world to try to find a clue to Harry's location. An extended search would deplete most of their savings and while they would gladly give up everything they had for Pansy's happiness, it was one less worry they would have to deal with.

**PH**

With the way things progressed far more quickly than they expected, it caused Roger and Faith to move up the plans they made before Christmas. Pansy being pulled out of school added a level of difficulty to what they had planned but it was still achievable. Two mornings after they brought Pansy home, Roger kissed his wife and daughter goodbye as he left to attend to some business. Faith would have gone as well but she felt Pansy needed her support right now and decided it would be best if she stayed home.

They approached Madam Bones not long after the kids left for school and while she was sensitive to Sirius' case, she had to decline since her hands were tied by the Minister of Magic. When the subject of Harry was brought up, she agreed to go after the Headmaster once evidence was presented of Harry's medical records since he was the magical guardian of record.

With the power Dumbledore wielded in the Wizengamot and Amelia's reluctance, Roger and Faith decided to take both cases up to a higher level. It was why Roger stepped out of the house and with a wave of his wand; he was covered in a long hooded cloak. Once he made sure everything was in place, he activated an international portkey for the second time in two weeks. The purpose of his trip was to make sure the wheels were in motion to see that the right people paid for their transgressions against not only Harry but James, Lily, and Sirius as well.

It was not known by anyone except the family but Roger and Faith had another job as well that left them fairly highly placed in the international magical community. Their 'other' job wasn't spoken of but it left them with many connections worldwide. It was this job that got him into the office of the Director of ICW Law Enforcement and allowed him to remain there until he had assurances that the cases would be investigated.

Today's visit had a dual purpose. The first was to check up on the progress with the case and the second was to evaluate Sirius Black's condition after arriving in ICW custody. When he arrived, Sirius was in bad shape physically but still had a sharp mind. After conferring with the attending healers and deciding on a course of action, he made his way back out and into the Director's office. After insuring that everything was progressing along at an efficient pace, Roger handed the Director a letter and asked him to give it to Sirius upon his release.

**HP**

It took a month but in that time, their practice was sold as they began to remove themselves from Great Britain. The feelers they put out to the magical community of the United States found that they would be welcomed heartily into the healing community as there as there was a severe lack of people qualified in the type of healing they did. By the time their manor was closed up and put into stasis under the old family wards, Pansy was beside herself in pestering her parents to get a move on.

In late February, Roger, Faith, and Pansy were sitting in the office of the Headmistress of Salem Academy of Magic. It was obvious that Pansy was nervous from the fidgeting that no amount of looks from her mother could bring under control. Headmistress Roberts was an old acquaintance of Faith's and knew exactly why Pansy chose to join Salem in mid term. Once they had her enrolled and the Headmistress went over the rules, she summoned her aide to escort Pansy to the dining hall.

The build up to arriving at Salem was both exciting and nerve racking for Pansy. As they went over the rules, it was quickly noticed that the dress code was casual and wouldn't require robes or uniforms. This led to a shopping spree unlike any Pansy had ever been on. Mother and daughter gave the family debit card a real workout as both of them came away with almost completely new wardrobes.

It was a very nervous Pansy who stepped into the dining hall. The set up was a lot different from Hogwarts as there were no houses and you were allowed to sit wherever you chose. Pansy felt a mixture of excitement and a good bit of fear as she didn't know how Harry would react to seeing her again. She looked at her reflection in the door and was confident that she looked nice enough to interrupt him if he was with friends. She had on a pair of snug jeans topped off by a green blouse and a black leather jacket. For the first time ever, her mother allowed her to buy trainers and much to her mother's chagrin, she bought three pair. She was currently wearing the black pair.

**HP**

As soon as she was gone, Ms. Roberts turned to Faith "I couldn't believe it when I was contacted about Lily's son coming here. Was everything I heard about what Albus did to him true?"

Faith replied "That and more Tess. Our contacts informed us that the old man must have lost it years ago but he was so eccentric already that no one ever realized what was happening. He placed Harry in _THAT_ home for ten years in order to toughen him up so that he could fulfill some prophecy told by Sybill. His whole plan was to leave Harry ignorant and either so desperate or so devoted to his friends that he would just walk to his death."

She nodded. "I've read all about the scandal going on there. I bet you're glad you got out when you did."

Roger snorted. Tess looked over at him questionably.

Faith smiled. "What my husband is finding so amusing is that we stirred the pot and then got out of there. Everything that is going on is due to evidence presented by us or Gringotts."

Tess' eyebrows rose. "Gringotts? They never get involved in our affairs."

Roger said "Harry's account manager has a soft spot for Harry. It doesn't pay to make them mad about the way an underage client has been treated."

With a smile, Tess said. "He seems like a nice kid. Smart too…reminds me a lot of Lily. When I saw the note from Griphook about the therapist, I saw a little of your influence peeking out. He's only had one session but the healer already has a good feeling about his recovery."

Faith said. "That's good to hear."

Roger said "I can only think there was a higher power involved that day when our Pansy saw a lost boy and offered to help him. That's not usually her way."

Faith added "It's a good thing she did or we wouldn't have been there to help him. The things that were done to him and the neglect were staggering."

Tess nodded. "Yes, I've read the file. It was criminal."

"We thought so too. It was then we started an anti-Dumbledore campaign. It seems to have worked."

"I heard it took down Minerva as well."

"She saw the error of her ways and resigned in disgrace. A lot of what was learned about Albus' plans was because she took his journal that outlined everything. She sent us a note saying it was the least she could do to make up for all that she did to the boy. Between Albus' trial, Snape's trial, Sirius' trial, the upheaval at Hogwarts, and the lawsuit brought against the Gryffindor Quidditch team as well as the Weasley boys, there are a lot of people who are unhappy with Harry in England right now. If Harry wins his case, Arthur's great grand children will still be paying off the debt owed to Harry."

"All over a broom?"

"No, the broom was just the tip of the iceberg. Minerva tried to pay him off by buying him another Nimbus. The one Griphook got him was top of the line and a special order. She bought him an off the rack model."

"What else?"

"Well, she gave him the broom at Christmas and when he left his dorm to take it back to her, the Weasley boys took knives to his presents. One was a dragon hide jacket we bought him, another was a special perch for Hedwig that Pansy picked out, and the last was James' invisibility cloak that Albus somehow had possession of."

Tess gasped. "Not _THE_ cloak."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, Griphook and Harry's solicitor placed the value on the cloak at well over a million galleons. They used the irreplaceable family heirloom clause to push their case."

"So the cloak is gone forever?"

"We're not sure. Griphook says there are some craftsmen in Gringotts that may be able to restore it but that cannot happen until after this goes to court."

"Will Harry have to return for the hearing?"

"Not that we are aware of unless he just wants to. But I doubt he'd ever set foot back in that country again."

"I heard about the broom incident but not the rest. I was impressed when the new Headmaster expelled the whole Quidditch team as well as sent their parents a bill for the broom."

Faith chuckled "I'm sure you are impressed with him since he was your deputy. I doubt the rest of the staff will survive the end of the year. Most of them did not do their jobs very well."

"What about Filius?"

"Excellent teacher but he was a crap Head of House. There was more bullying going on in Ravenclaw than there was in Slytherin."

Tess wrote a note and then said "I'll be sure to pass that along."

Roger said "Good. The whole staff allowed Harry to be treated badly so they all deserve to be fired."

Tess smiled at them. "He's lucky to have you even if he doesn't know he does."

"It's the least I could do for Lily. She was a good friend."

"Yes she was. To a lot of people. When word of this gets out…they were part of the _family_. I imagine there will be repercussions when the rest of the _family_ gets wind of what was done to one of their own."

Faith snorted. "Oh, they've heard and they deserve whatever they get. He's such a wonderful boy. He and Pansy make a nice couple."

"Making wedding plans already?"

"Not yet…they are still a little young and we still have to see if he forgives her."

"As Headmistress, there is one question I feel needs to be asked. The prophecy and Harry's part in it? Do I need to add extra protections to the school?"

Faith smiled. "I know you heard the garbage Albus was spouting about Voldemort would return but in our opinion, Harry's fulfilled his part of it and after we removed his curse scar, there is no connection between the two of them. As far as we are concerned, he is out of that mess and England will have to deal with their own problems and not rely on a boy this time."

Roger added. "We also contacted on old friend who is using the magical signature we got from the scar to track down other objects that are tied to Voldemort. Our guess is that he won't be much of a challenge if he does come back."

"So you think the school will be safe?"

Faith smirked. "Haven't you heard Tess? A lot of our _family_ members have taken a special interest in one of their future candidates. Do you know that the U.S. now has the largest amount of family members working for them and most of them live in Salem now?"

"Well, I guess that one less thing to worry about."

**PH**

Pansy stood in the door of the dining hall and scanned the room for Harry. There were about as many students here as there was at Hogwarts so she was looking for his signature mop of messy black hair. At first she thought it would be easy to spot him but she must have done her job well since he blended in with the others so well. After a few minutes she finally spotted him talking with a couple of boys.

She nervously walked over and stood behind him. The guy sitting across from Harry looked up and smiled at the new girl.

"Looks like we have another new student. She's pretty too."

Harry turned around and looked up into a pair of green eyes that he has been missing since September. "Hey Harry"

"Hello Pansy. Not to be rude but what are you doing here?"

The boy across from Harry said "You don't mean _THE_ Pansy?"

Harry growled "Shut it Tim or I'll go tell Gloria what you really think of her."

Tim paled "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"May I sit with you?"

His reply wasn't cold but it didn't hold the warmth they once shared either. "It's a free country or at least that's what they tell me."

She quickly sat next to him and Tim and the other boy made themselves scarce. "Harry, I'm so sorry. I…I was scared and wasn't strong like you. I couldn't stand up to them."

"You think I was strong? God Pansy, I fell apart when they separated us. I didn't know what to do. You were the only person I could trust and they didn't care."

Pansy looked down but softly said. "I cried for days…I watched and saw we were both alone again. I thought you chose another house when you were sorted into Gryffindor. It broke my heart. I went back to the way I acted before. I followed along like I was told and then that day…I just stood there while they said those things. I've never been so ashamed of myself. I'm so sorry Harry for not saying anything…for not doing anything to fix the problem."

Harry looked down. "I fought with the hat and he told me that I had no choice. I begged it to put me with you. The funny thing is I might as well have worn Slytherin robes with the way they treated me. I cried that first night, when I woke up…I thought about things and got pissed off. I defied everything they tried to make me do and they took it out on me. I was fighting against everyone and didn't have the strength to fight for the one thing that meant the most. I'm sorry for that."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I swear I never told them anything that we talked about. I would never do that."

"I know. Griphook has kept me informed. He said something about Snape using Leg...Legi…crap…he read your mind and told Draco."

She giggled but then turned to face him. "Can we get back to where we were? Is it still possible?"

"I don't know Pansy. It'll be kind of hard to get close again with us being so far apart."

She looked at him for a second before grinning. "So if we were in the same school, you would give me another chance?"

"Well yeah as long as you could do the same for me. You're my best friend and I think we both messed up. Our biggest mistake was not finding a way to talk to each other."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…you're the best friend I've ever had."

Harry snorted "Hmm…since I'm the only real friend you've ever had. It kind of doesn't leave you much to compare me too."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I love you. I want you to be my boyfriend."

"Um…aren't we a little young for that?"

"Say yes Harry."

"Won't your dad kill me?"

"Say yes Harry."

"Maybe we should…"

He was cut off as she kissed him. It wasn't the world's greatest kiss but it was enough for both of them to know that there were more feelings there than a mere friendship.

When she pulled away, they were both smiling. "Um Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember I'm a pureblood right?"

"Yeah"

"Well, now that you've kissed me, you've got to marry me."

"All that from one kiss?"

"Not exactly…I just want you to know that you're never getting rid of me."

"I can live with that."

"Oh yeah…um…mum said you will be at dinner on Saturday night."

"That's a long way to go for dinner."

"Not really, it's only a mile to their house. We can walk there."

"Huh?"

"Daddy thought you had the right idea. They closed their practice and moved here. When they let it be known that they were considering moving their practice, they had a lot of response. It seems America has a high need for the type of work they do."

"Just what do they do?"

"We're not allowed to talk about it."

"Don't tell me, they are members of some ultra secret organization that no one knows what they do but when things get really bad, they put on their hooded robes and go out and kick everyone's tail."

"Wow, you do understand. They want to start teaching us early so that we can go into the family business."

"You and your mum have this all planned out?"

"Of course."

"Wait a minute, you told me that during the last war, they made a deal with Voldemort that kept them out of the ranks."

"Yes, they were undercover but no matter what, they are very good at spell damage and healing."

The only thing Harry could say was 'obviously' after all they did for him.

**HP**

A lot had changed for Harry in the next year. Even though he still lived in the dorm, he had his own room at the Parkinson's and spent about as much time there as he did at school. Although they hung out with a close knit bunch of friends, they still found most of their comfort in one another. On one night that Harry was enjoying the peacefulness of the house; Roger came in and sat in a chair.

"What's up Roger?"

"I have some news for you from England."

When he saw Harry's scowl, he held up his hand. "I know how you feel about that place but there are some things we need to discuss. First off, the trials are finally complete. Dumbledore was found guilty of all charges in relation to you. Since he was already stripped of his titles and positions, they went after him in another way. For his part he played in yours and Sirius' lives, they worked with Gringotts and stripped him of every bit of gold and assets they could find and split it between the two of you."

"How much?"

"About two million galleons."

"That doesn't even begin to make up for what he did."

"I know son. They did the best they could. He also gets to spend the rest of his life in

Azkaban."

"Tell them to make sure he stays alive for at least ten years so that he can atone for what he did to both of us."

"That would be fitting. I'll pass it along. Now, nothing was done to Minerva as she resigned and now works as a volunteer to help abused children deal with their past."

Harry nodded but didn't say anything for a minute. "I know she was the one who gave you the journals that allowed Albus to be exposed."

"How did you know?"

"Pansy overheard you and Faith talking about it. She also said that Mum took her down a few pegs in the Great Hall."

"Yes she did. Don't cross that woman. That reminds me, why do you call her Mum and me Roger?"

"I don't know. She acts like a Mum to me and you're more like an older brother or something. You give advice but never demand anything of me. She on the other hand scares me."

Roger laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, she scares me too. Now, for what Snape did to Pansy, he was stripped of everything, his potion's masters license was revoked, and he has a nice cell right beside Albus so that they can share the attention of Chip and Dale Dementor."

"Rog?"

"Yeah?"

"Remind me to never piss you off. If I do something wrong with Pansy, please just tell me about it."

Roger laughed. "I won't have too. Pansy will take care of that just like her mother does."

"Great"

"Sirius is free but will spend another year at least under the care of the healers. Mentally, he is fine but physically…well we have hope that he will recover."

Harry nodded. "It bothers me that he was treated that way so that Dumbledore could have control over me but…I can't really feel anything about it. He left me with them and well…I don't know him."

Roger placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I've talked with him several times. He regrets everything about that night and is afraid of facing you knowing what happened to you. If for no other reason than he is your godfather and was very close with your dad, maybe you should reach out to him. Send him a letter. You don't have to get into the deep subjects. Hell, you could just say that the Prongslet orders him to get off his lazy ass and get better."

Harry smiled at that. "So just write him and be an ass? I can do that."

Roger chuckled "Yeah, more like a smart ass. Sirius would love it."

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Now, I told you I had some friends working on the Voldemort issue. Well, that scar did some good after all and I can now proudly say that with a lot of help, Voldemort will not bother anyone ever again. My friend told me that they found his spirit in Albania and banished it to the other side. He won't come back for you."

Harry looked up at that and then did something he had never done to Roger before. He got up and hugged him. "Thank you…it means a lot…I've always thought that I would always be looking over my shoulder and was afraid to drag Pansy into that."

Before either man could react, they felt two more sets of arms around them. Pansy kissed his temple and said "It wouldn't have mattered. I would have been beside you anyway." With the emotion flowing through the family of four, Faith whispered "Roger and I would have been there too. You are already a part of our family."

After Harry wiped his face, he looked up at Roger and with a grin he said "I already had a plan if he came for me. I was gonna point Mum at him and sit back and watch as she took him apart."

She smiled and hugged him. Once she let up a little, Harry asked "So, you've avoided my lawsuit. I'm guessing that it didn't go so well."

Roger replied "No it didn't go quite as expected. The issue with the broom was resolved with each member of the team being fined 1500 galleons which will be paid to you through Griphook. Their lack of sportsmanship has also caused them to be banned from Quidditch in any ICW signatory."

"Damn, that's pretty harsh. I just wanted them to pay for my broom."

"Oh, that wasn't court ordered. The Head of the International Quidditch league stepped forward and placed the ban on them. I watched as Oliver Wood walked out of the room in tears. Now, the Weasley boys were fined for the perch and the coat. By now, the fines incurred by the Weasley family was somewhere around 3600 galleons."

"Okay, everything seems about right so far. What did they do about the cloak?"

"Well, that's where things got really interesting. You see, Mr. Screwem really sunk his teeth into that part."

Harry snorted "You do know that Mr. Screwem is really Longsnout under glamour?"

Roger laughed "Of course that's what makes this fun. Have you ever tried arguing with a Goblin? They can be more stubborn that your Mum."

Faith growled "You'd better be talking about Lily."

Roger grinned. "Oh yeah, her too. Well anyway, before he was done, he had the whole courtroom convinced that the cloak was really the Hallow that had been passed down from Ignotus Peverell and had been in the Potter family for close to a thousand years. No one could dispute it as everyone knows that the Potter family is the last line descended from the Peverells. So, by the time he was done, he had stirred the Wizengamot into a frenzy who then demanded two million galleons in compensation."

"Wow"

"Oh it gets better. The whole thing shocked Mega Mouth Molly so bad that she was speechless. She was about to use her powers for evil and shriek everyone into submission but sat there speechless. Just as Arthur was about to take the coward's way out and cast the boys out of the family, the Chief Warlock banged his gavel and declared the whole thing to be a matter of family honor and as such, the assets of any families related to the Weasleys would be used in repayment of the fine."

Pansy snorted. Harry thought it was so cute when she did it but even with the distraction, he didn't get it. When his eyebrows rose, she looked at him and huffed as she turned to her mother and glared.

"It's not fair Mum. I had to sit there and learn all about the pureblood family lines and Harry never had to deal with it."

Harry hugged her and asked "So what did you find so funny?"

"Well Heir Potter, with the exception of my family and yours, most of the British purebloods are related." She turned to her father. "By any chance was Tiberius Ogden the Chief Warlock for that lawsuit?"

Roger smiled. "How did you guess?"

"It would be good for his business when all those purebloods tried to drown their sorrows. He wouldn't be affected because his family always married first bloods."

Harry pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. "I love it when you get all brainy but would you explain it to the ignorant person here?"

She smiled "Uncle Tiberius knows that to declare it a family honor matter, every family with ties to the Weasley family will have to contribute to the fine. Did you know that the Greengrasses, Malfoys, Crabbes, Goyles, Davis, Bulstrodes, Fudge, and a lot of other families are related to the Weasleys?"

"No, I thought they hated each other."

"Well the Weasleys are resentful of the other families because they feel like they are used and then none of the wealth was shared. You see, they may be pureblood but the Weasleys have something that every pureblood family wants and needs. They were blessed with fertility and the Weasleys are used as breeding stock to keep the other family lines going."

Faith said "Very good Pansy."

Harry asked "I understand how they are related but what does that have to do with the lawsuit?"

Faith chuckled "Come on now Harry, Tiberius just stripped the darker families of their wealth. The Crabbes, Goyles, Bulstrodes, and Weasleys barely have a pot to piss in. They will be fined and when they can't pay, the amount will be added to the amount that the other families are required to pay. The Davis family is moderately comfortable, much like us and will pay their share but the Fudge, Greengrass, and Malfoy family will bear most of the burden. They will lose a lot of their wealth and power which may allow Britain to finally move forward and join the rest of the world."

Roger snorted. "That makes what Sirius told me even better. He said that as soon as he is able to take over his titles, he's annulling his cousins' marriages and taking back their dowries because their husbands were Death Eaters. Pretty soon, the Malfoys will be trying to steal the piss pot from the Weasleys."

Harry sat there for a minute before saying. "I really don't care about the money. Griphook said our investments were doing well and should increase the Potter vaults significantly. I may just take that money from Dumbledore and dump it in something risky just to see what happens."

"You need to be careful there son."

"Oh I will. I don't think there's any risk and you might want to get in on it too. We've been looking at something he calls the high tech markets along with something called dot com. He thinks we can make a lot of money in the next few years."

"Griphook also sent me a note and said the craftsman he spoke of has looked at the cloak and seems to think he can repair it."

Faith said "That's good. I'll make sure to put up that ward Lily and I developed over Pansy's bedroom so you can't sneak into her bedroom in the middle of the night."

Both kids blushed as Roger and Faith walked back out of his room. As soon as they were gone, Harry whispered "She didn't say anything about my room. You can still sneak in here and sleep with me."

Her smile turned to horror and they heard "I heard that." In the unmistakable voice of Faith.

**HP**

For the next seven years, Harry and Pansy remained faithfully by each others' side despite the many offers of dates by the other students. The healing her parents did for Harry when he was eleven allowed him to develop into a ruggedly handsome man who turned many a girls' head. To Harry, the cute girl he met in that alley in London grew into a strikingly beautiful girl. He felt so lucky to have her by his side.

Unfortunately for both of them, the insecurities they faced when they were younger never completely disappeared and the attention by the opposite sex just enhanced their fears of losing the other. Any time they started showing the signs, Roger or Faith would pull them aside and remind them that they were much stronger together than they would ever be apart. Those words always seemed to bring them back into focus.

**PH**

At sixteen, the pressure from their fears and the opposite sex led them into taking things much further than they ever had. They were caught by Faith as they lay in Pansy's bed in the afterglow of their first time and things went a lot different than they expected. Her response was to laugh at their scrambling for clothes and tell them she was surprised it hadn't happened earlier.

As she left the room, she told them that since they had taken the final step and shared the ultimate in magic, she would finally begin to plan the wedding. They shared a look between them and with how well they knew each other; all it took was a raised eyebrow from Harry and a nod in reply from Pansy before they were kissing once again. Before Faith could make it completely out the door, Harry called out "Mum, um…would you close the door?"

"Certainly, just do me one favor…make sure you are using the charm. I don't mind you're together but I do not want to be a grandmother at thirty six."

Pansy giggled and then with a smirk, asked "Mum? What was the charm again?"

Faith palmed her face as both of the teenagers began laughing.

As she closed the door, she called out "By the way, your Uncle Sirius will be here for dinner. I'm sure he will find this whole thing quite amusing."

Both of the kids lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling since the mood was broken.

"Pans?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where they keep the port key to the beach house?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I'd much rather watch you running around in your bikini than listening to the old pervert taking the mickey out of us."

"Taking the mickey? Geez Harry…how long have we lived in America now?"

"Well, it thought it was more polite than giving us shit."

"It is. You know I love you right?"

"Well I certainly hope so since I love you too and you've seen me naked."

She giggled. "You know what that means don't you?"

"Yeah, you have to marry me now. I am a half-blood you know and we have a code to live by."

"Oh? And what is that code?"

"Just the usual. The only people who can see you naked are your healer, your room mate, and your wife."

"What about your mum?"

"Not after you turn ten or eleven in my case."

"Sounds reasonable I suppose. So is that a proposal?"

"Not a formal one. That one will require me on my knees begging."

"Ah I see. Um Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"The answer is yes. You don't have to beg until you do something that involves one of our kids and a really stupid act."

"You know what Miss Parkinson?"

"What?"

"I may beg just so we can do what we did earlier again."

"You will never have to beg for that."

"I love you baby."

"Me too. Now be quiet and take a nap with me. We're going to need our strength for when Sirius gets here or we have a repeat."

He reached over and pulled her close.


End file.
